Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, this is Rusty. Let's have a look at what's on the menu for the Kohala Lighthouse area.

To be honest, mate, it's a bit of a rough stretch ahead. The next 16 days are looking more like a struggle than a celebration. The consistent trade winds are going to be a real pain, blowing cross-shore or cross-onshore for almost the entire run, which just tears up any chance of clean, lined-up waves. We're looking at a whole lot of lumpy, choppy, and generally poor surf conditions.

The water temp is sitting right where it should be for this time of year, so no surprises there.

For the first week, from Wednesday the 22nd of July right through to the end of the month, it's a write-off. The wind is relentless, around 18 to 22 mph, and the swell is messy. There's some moderate wave energy showing up, but it's all cross-chop and no form. You'll be fighting a bumpy mess out there.

There's a bit of a tease on Sunday the 26th of July. The swell period jumps to 15 seconds, which is proper groundswell, and the combined energy is strong. But the wind is still a fresh 18 mph cross-shore, so it's still going to be lumpy. It's a "marginal" call at best. The same goes for Monday the 27th, with a big energy reading, but that cross-onshore wind just kills it.

The gap of poor conditions stretches right through the first week and into the next. We're looking at a solid 10-day stretch of nothing worth paddling out for.

Then, on Monday the 3rd of August, the wind is still up at 18 mph, but we get a very long-period groundswell at 16 seconds from the east, with strong energy again. This is the kind of swell that could be incredible at a reef or point, but at a beach break, it can be tricky and straight. The problem is that damn cross-shore wind. It's still a "marginal" forecast.

The best of a bad bunch is probably that Monday the 3rd of August. The swell is about 4 ft from the east with that 16-second period. If the wind lays down even a little bit, it could offer the best shape of the whole outlook. But as it stands, it's a long shot. For anyone who isn't an expert, the bigger days later in the run, like the 7 ft swell on the 1st of August, are not only messy but also too big for beginners.

This is one of those stretches where the forecast just isn't cooperating. It's a tough run for paddle surfing. The wind is so consistent that a kite surfer might actually have a field day with the open water, but for us wave hunters, it's a waiting game.

Rusty, signing off.

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